NWR's End of the Year Awards 2016

Top 5 Games of 2016 (2-1)

Fire Emblem Awakening is often credited as the game that saved the future of this Nintendo IP due to its massive appeal in the West, something which most of the series entries just couldn’t generate until that point. So naturally, Fire Emblem Fates had some big shoes to fill, and boy, did it.

Although there was some initial confusion over what exactly “Birthright,” “Conquest,” and “Revelation” were, and what it meant for the progression of the story, new and old fans alike quickly became excited about Intelligent Systems’ shift to a more unique experience than ever before. Not only could you once again customize your protagonist, with even more options than last time, and your difficulty level in-game, but suddenly you had two new play styles to choose from. Birthright granted more gold and experience opportunities than Conquest, making it seem like the “easier” alternative of the two storylines. However, it wasn’t a question of hard versus easy gameplay. This variation did make Conquest more of a challenge, but it also demanded that players budget their time and resources carefully and stretch their tactician brains. After all, when you only have so much experience to go around you have to be decisive about who is dead weight early on. On the flip side, Birthright allowed for more freedom without these limitations. Players could explore various classes and characters without worrying that it would kill their chances of successfully completing the campaign later. Awakening started adding more varied gameplay approaches to widen Fire Emblem’s niche appeal several years ago, and Fates cemented this approach as the continued direction for the series.

With three games in total, a giant support log to fill, and plenty of end-game bonus maps and DLC, it’s no wonder why Fates dominated the hype, the fans, and the market for several months in 2015 and 2016. And it definitely wasn’t all for nothing. The reception and sales for Fates promise a strong future for the series, and we couldn’t be happier. - Becky Hollada

Seemingly the entire year built up to Pokémon Sun and Moon's November 18 release. From the release of the original games (with new functions), to the mania over Pokémon Go that dominated the summer, to the bi-monthly news dumps it was clear that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company were throwing it all at the wall for the 20th anniversary of the franchise. And it worked, Pokémon Sun and Moon smashed sales records and won the honor of our 2016 Game of the Year.

If it was a bog standard Pokémon title in the vein of X and Y, the excitement may not have been there. But Sun and Moon changed the series in dramatic ways as well. The concept of the movement grid? Gone. Pokémon Gyms? Eliminated. The static Champion? Well, it’s still there, but in a cue from Punch-Out!! (Wii) it’s now a title defense mode. Even the oft-derided Hidden Machines are gone, with much rejoicing from fans both new and old, in favor of riding Pokémon. There’s a story with relatable characters which hasn’t been seen since the days of Unova. Some of the features could use a tweak, such as the SOS Battles and the exclusive of Pokémon tied to it. But, all minor complaints aside, this game struck a major chord with our staff.

When the site staff nominated games for Game of the Year, Sun and Moon were only left off two of the 13 ballots that were submitted. No game released in 2016 came anywhere close to that level of support. Game Freak has had one hell of a year, with two games in the top 5, but Sun and Moon shone brighter than everything else. Now Nebby, GET IN THE DAMN BAG!!!! - Donald Theriault

Regarding Twilight Princess HD (Which I bought my son for Christmas) what does this last part mean?"most underrated (except by doctors) Zelda game in history."I don't understand the "except by doctors" Does Dr. Metts hate this game?

Here's hoping I win NWR's Best Poster again this year to make it a perfect 10 years in a row. Fingers crossed!

Quote from: Shaymin

Moderators aren't eligible.

And here shall be marked as the moment that Khush realized his downfall. The only reason he was given mod powers was so we could dethrone him as the year's Best Poaster.

Downfall? More like soon to be greatest triumph!

This is just like how MegaByte was made staff to keep him from winning Radio Trivia! Well, I think it's time to take a stand against these oppressive rules. I'm boldly willing to proclaim that I think the entitled should be even more entitled and that to everyone who has should more be given. I say, it's time to stop the oppression of moderators on this forum by the common forum user. For too long have the moderators and their contributions on these forums been dismissed and looked down upon.

And that's just towards one obscure moderator named Khushrenada who hardly even posts on these forums! There isn't enough room to post all the derision given to moderators who actually are prolific. I don't know how the users Insanolord and UncleBob even cope with the level of abuse they see.... being thrown at this Khushrenada fellow. They must be so heartbroken.

So, in the words of the famous forum patriot Bob Marley, I say it's time to get up and stand up because you've got to fight for your right to party! It's time to break down this moderator segregation and make staff eligible for prizes and awards starting with this non-existent but suddenly vitally important trophy. I have a dream! I have a dream that one day this forum will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all posters are created equal." I have a dream that all posters will one day contribute on a forum where they will not be judged by the rank of their forum privileges but by the content of their posts! So, if 2016 has been a disappointing year for you, here is your chance to make something positive out of it by breaking down the moderator barrier of ineligibility towards winning and demanding that this Khushrenada be named NWR's Best Poster 2016 for the 10th year in a row.

On a different note, while I don't want to take on a roll of armchair editor, I am bugged about the one paragraph for the NES Classic Edition.

Quote:

For those who grew up without a NES in their video game library, this year gave those neglected a few a second chance with the NES Classic Edition. Thirty of platform's most memorable games were brought back to life with the new retro system, complete with HDMI support and save states. It may be hard to find this holiday season, but the NES Classic Edition is a terrific reminder that at one time, we were all playing with power.

I believe the proper rendering of it should be as follows:

Quote:

For those who grew up without an NES in their video game library, this year gave those neglected few a second chance with the NES Classic Edition. Thirty of the platform's most memorable games were brought back to life with the new retro system, complete with HDMI support and save states. It may be hard to find this holiday season but the NES Classic Edition is a terrific reminder that, at one time, we were all playing with power.

I've almost bought Federation Force several times, but never quite pulled the trigger. I'd have to buy 2 copies because I'd want to play with my wife so the money is part of why I still haven't done it.I think we'd enjoy it, but where it was designed for 4 player how fun is it with just 2?

Well, I guess this means Star Fox Zero and Paper Mario: Color Splash are going to be the top two. No way is it Pokémon Sun/Moon or BoxBoxBoy with a chance of spoiler by Kirby: Planet Robobot or Tokyo Mirage Sessions.

I don't understand the hate for Star Fox Zero. I've really enjoyed it, and I've had several people come over and want to try it and about 1 in 10 hates it.

The whole "new-ish take on a franchise is despised by fans" seems to have been a running theme for 2016. Maybe it needs to be like figure skating and we throw out the top and bottom 10-20% of Internet reaction. ;)

Wow. Would have never guessed the NWR Top 5 of 2016 in a million years. It's wildly different than what I would have picked and none of the games selected would have made my list at all, even though the number one game isn't a surprise.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions probably would have been #6. Really, as far as the staff discussion (and even the staff/Patreon nominating process) went, the only question was how would the top 5 or 6 games be ordered. Pokemon seemed to be the clear winner, and FE:F, Picross, MPFF, PCJ, and TMS were our obvious potentials after that.

I think 2016 was kind of a weird year and the variance in top Nintendo game lists of the year shows that.

Honestly, though, if one is to be objective about it, Pokémon Go was the biggest Nintendo-related news story of 2016. The Media was covering that thing on air for a couple weeks and it was conversation at work with plenty of people who are complete non-gamers. As gamers, sure, we are more excited about the Switch but no one has brought it up or talked about it at my work nor has there been any news stories covering it in the general media that I saw. You don't see the Switch reveal inspiring Song of the Year candidates like this gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfc42Pb5RA8

In other news, while I'm slightly disappointed that I wasn't named Best Poster for the tenth time in a row, I can't disagree with your final selection since it encompasses the equality I was protesting for earlier. For those too lazy to read the article:

Quote:

NWR's Best Poster of the Year - Everyone

Rather than single one individual as has been done in the past, the recent protests by so many forum members demanding representation for their efforts and work on these forums has caused us reflect on how divisive this award can be. Moreover, one post, while appealing to one individual, may not be judged as favorably by another because we all have different viewpoints. In a year that has already been very divisive, it seemed tiring to further add to that notion so in a spirit of appreciation and community bonding, this year's Best Poster award goes to every poster who takes the time to stop by our forums and participate on them whether a little or a lot. Every post is important since you never know what may spark a sudden flurry of activity or may be the diamond in a thread of coal. Thank you all and hope to see you all at it some more in 2017. - Anonymous

That's nice. Very heartwarming.

And since I'm part of "everyone" that means I'm also the Best Poster of the Year! 10 years in a row, baby! Unprecedented domination. Khushrenada, you devious devil, you've done it again!

Honestly, though, if one is to be objective about it, Pokémon Go was the biggest Nintendo-related news story of 2016. The Media was covering that thing on air for a couple weeks and it was conversation at work with plenty of people who are complete non-gamers. As gamers, sure, we are more excited about the Switch but no one has brought it up or talked about it at my work nor has there been any news stories covering it in the general media that I saw. You don't see the Switch reveal inspiring Song of the Year candidates like this gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfc42Pb5RA8

In other news, while I'm slightly disappointed that I wasn't named Best Poster for the tenth time in a row, I can't disagree with your final selection since it encompasses the equality I was protesting for earlier. For those too lazy to read the article:

Quote:

NWR's Best Poster of the Year - Everyone

Rather than single one individual as has been done in the past, the recent protests by so many forum members demanding representation for their efforts and work on these forums has caused us reflect on how divisive this award can be. Moreover, one post, while appealing to one individual, may not be judged as favorably by another because we all have different viewpoints. In a year that has already been very divisive, it seemed tiring to further add to that notion so in a spirit of appreciation and community bonding, this year's Best Poster award goes to every poster who takes the time to stop by our forums and participate on them whether a little or a lot. Every post is important since you never know what may spark a sudden flurry of activity or may be the diamond in a thread of coal. Thank you all and hope to see you all at it some more in 2017. - Anonymous

That's nice. Very heartwarming.

And since I'm part of "everyone" that means I'm also the Best Poster of the Year! 10 years in a row, baby! Unprecedented domination. Khushrenada, you devious devil, you've done it again!

You realize you have to share that title with every single spambot that has posted in the past year right?

Hey, I wanted to keep the title from becoming diluted but Shaymin was the one who invoked the "staff can't win" rule leading to this compromise. Plus, it's only the spambot posts that don't get deleted which would count and Lace Wigs is a Forum Classic Post so it's not like spambots are totally doing it wrong. I'd feel more sorry about the people whose posts are worse than the spambot posts. Not me, though, I'm too busy celebrating as Best Poster since it "still counts."